At its May meeting,
ALPA’s Executive Board will consider a resolution from the Executive Council to
modify the union’s Age 60 policy if it decides that such efforts are in the best
interest of ALPA pilots.

The resolution comes on the heels of the FAA’s announcement that it will
propose a new rule to allow pilots to fly until they are 65. The proposed rule
would parallel the ICAO standard—either pilot or copilot may fly up to age 65 as
long as the other crew member is under age 60.

Since the announcement, ALPA’s president, Capt. John
Prater, established the ALPA Age 60 Blue Ribbon Panel to study the long-range
effects of potential changes to the FAA Age 60 Rule and to identify issues
connected to possible changes to pilot mandatory retirement age.

The Panel presented its preliminary report to the Council on April 24 which
included issues that need to be addressed in legislation to change the Age 60
Rule. Currently, Congress is considering legislation—S. 65 and H.R. 1125—that
would raise the upper age limit to 65 in multi-crew operations as long as the
other required pilot is under 60; sunset the current FAA Age 60 Rule 30 days
after the effective date which is the date of enactment; require the Secretary
of Transportation within 30 days after the effective date to modify the
regulation making it consistent with the statutory change; and establish that it
would not be a basis for a claim of re-employment or seniority under any labor
agreement.

ALPA expects that attempts will be made to attach or include S. 65 and H.R.
1125 in each chamber's version of the 2007 FAA reauthorization bills which the
committees of jurisdiction are scheduling to debate and vote on in May or June.

The Blue Ribbon Panel concluded that provisions in both bills do not
sufficiently address ALPA’s issues. Those issues include:

appropriate language to prevent retroactive application of a change to
the rule,

appropriate language to ensure stronger liability protection for
airlines and pilot unions in implementing a change to the rule,

assurances that FAA normal retirement age language in certain defined
benefit plans would not cause a cutback in accrued benefits

opposition to any additional age-related diagnostic medical testing,

any attempt by the FAA to obtain greater access to medical pilot
records, and

support of FAA Air Surgeon Fred Tilton’s recommendation to require a
first class medical certification every six months for pilots over age 60,
and

appropriate language , modeled on Akaka bill, which requires the PBGC to
calculate pilot pension benefits as though they worked to the more
traditional retirement age of 65.

ALPA continues to collect information on this critical topic. For your
opinion to be heard, eligible members MUST take the ALPA Age 60 Blue Ribbon
Panel Survey. Although the survey results will not be the only factor the Board
considers, it is an important aspect of the Board’s deliberation regarding the
FAA Age 60 pilot retirement regulation.

More than 14,500 ALPA pilots have registered their opinions on the FAA Age 60
pilot retirement regulation via ALPA’s online survey. As of April 30, the top-10
pilot groups with the highest percentage of submissions are America West, FedEx,
Northwest, ASTAR, Continental, Delta, United, Alaska, Hawaiian, and Atlas Air.
The web-based survey began earlier this month and will remain open until May 10.
Please log onto Crewroom.alpa.org
to access the survey.